Marco A. Maximo Prado's Avatar

Marco A. Maximo Prado

@maximoprado.bsky.social

Canada Research Chair. Misfolding proteins, chaperones and cholinergic function in neurodegeneration. Interested in reproducibility, translational research and open science. ORCID: 0000-0002-3028-5778 I also post pics of sunsets and bikes.

2,310 Followers  |  630 Following  |  788 Posts  |  Joined: 08.11.2024  |  1.8893

Latest posts by maximoprado.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Varicella-zoster virus reactivation and the risk of dementia - Nature Medicine Large-scale longitudinal health records reveal consistent association of varicella-zoster virus reactivation with dementia.

Just incredible findings, and a beautifully written paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... Get your shingrix vaccine! You do not want peripheral neuropathy, and as a bonus you get substantial protection from later development of dementia.

06.10.2025 14:35 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 11    ๐Ÿ” 6    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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RFK Jr.โ€™s MAHA movement focuses on animal welfare Last week, the National Institutes of Health announced it had secured $87 million for a new research center.

RFK Jr. insanely moves MAHA to end animal testing, with NIH securing $87M for a center shifting to 3D tissue models. An 80% poll backs the phaseout. PETA applauds. A research group warns of risks. Grants can fund the rehoming of lab animals.

06.10.2025 14:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 6    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

The one I wish I would have written. It is on point! This is my peer review of this article.

06.10.2025 20:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Brain Energy Production Vulnerability and Pathophysiology

Just published ! Two chapters encapsulating the idea of constrained brain energy metabolism that lies at the heart of brain vulnerability in aging, development and stress. Result of a week's hard work at the Ernst Strรผngmann forum.
rdcu.be/eJvXK
rdcu.be/eJv3I

05.10.2025 00:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Absolutely amazing work @mind-western.bsky.social... a true imaging treat to look at this #fluorescencefriday!

03.10.2025 21:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Great collaborative effort to get this done

03.10.2025 16:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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#fluorescencefriday shows the intimate relationship between astrocytes, (cyan) microglia (green) and amyloid plaques (magenta). we find that in APOE4 mice there is much more glia associated with plaques.

03.10.2025 12:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 22    ๐Ÿ” 6    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Lovely summary of how the advent of confocal microscopy changed our research and ability to understand biology

02.10.2025 08:00 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Screenshot of first part of letter (continues in next image). Text reads: 

Dear Sir Adrian

I write to request that in its deliberations tomorrow the Council resolves to take a principled stand to defend the scientific values written into its code of conduct. 

In its attempts to deal with the actions of Elon Musk FRS, the Royal Society has repeatedly failed to explain how his repudiation of those values is consistent with the code of conduct that all Fellows must adhere to as a condition of their fellowship. As is now well established, these actions include attacking Antony Fauci FRS without good cause; spreading scientific misinformation on X [through his own utterances and by relaxing controls on the platform]; recklessly and unlawfully degrading the research ecosystem of the US as part of DOGE; and bragging publicly about "feeding USAID into the wood chipper", which the Lancet estimates will cause the deaths of 14 million people, many of them children under the age of five, by 2030. 

The Societyโ€™s inaction extends to the recent brief exchange of correspondence between Prof Sir Paul Nurse and Mr Musk. Although there was some initial contact, when Sir Paul laid out the Societyโ€™s specific concerns there was no reply or explanation from Musk. For reasons that Iโ€™m afraid I cannot fathom, you chose once again not to enforce your code of conduct.

Screenshot of first part of letter (continues in next image). Text reads: Dear Sir Adrian I write to request that in its deliberations tomorrow the Council resolves to take a principled stand to defend the scientific values written into its code of conduct. In its attempts to deal with the actions of Elon Musk FRS, the Royal Society has repeatedly failed to explain how his repudiation of those values is consistent with the code of conduct that all Fellows must adhere to as a condition of their fellowship. As is now well established, these actions include attacking Antony Fauci FRS without good cause; spreading scientific misinformation on X [through his own utterances and by relaxing controls on the platform]; recklessly and unlawfully degrading the research ecosystem of the US as part of DOGE; and bragging publicly about "feeding USAID into the wood chipper", which the Lancet estimates will cause the deaths of 14 million people, many of them children under the age of five, by 2030. The Societyโ€™s inaction extends to the recent brief exchange of correspondence between Prof Sir Paul Nurse and Mr Musk. Although there was some initial contact, when Sir Paul laid out the Societyโ€™s specific concerns there was no reply or explanation from Musk. For reasons that Iโ€™m afraid I cannot fathom, you chose once again not to enforce your code of conduct.

Screenshot of letter. Text continues: 

"You will be aware that the sense of bewildered dismay over this affair is shared by Royal Society Fellows, medallists and journals editors, and many thousands within the scientific community here and abroad. The Royal Society still claims to speak for scientists in the UK, but on this vital issue, its inaction represents an inexplicable rupture with values that our community holds very dear. 

In all this my primary concern is has been for the good standing of the Royal Society as the UKโ€™s national academy. As I am sure you understand all too well (given your recent remarks in the wake of Mr Muskโ€™s ill-judged speech at the Tommy Robinson rally), the country, the world at large, and the very practice of science itself face severe challenges from technologies and populist politics that foment division and ignorance. In such troubled times, people look to our established institutions to have the courage to stand by long-held values of truth and decency. 

It is my sincere hope the Royal Society will demonstrate tomorrow that it is just such an institution. 

Yours faithfully, 

Stephen"

Screenshot of letter. Text continues: "You will be aware that the sense of bewildered dismay over this affair is shared by Royal Society Fellows, medallists and journals editors, and many thousands within the scientific community here and abroad. The Royal Society still claims to speak for scientists in the UK, but on this vital issue, its inaction represents an inexplicable rupture with values that our community holds very dear. In all this my primary concern is has been for the good standing of the Royal Society as the UKโ€™s national academy. As I am sure you understand all too well (given your recent remarks in the wake of Mr Muskโ€™s ill-judged speech at the Tommy Robinson rally), the country, the world at large, and the very practice of science itself face severe challenges from technologies and populist politics that foment division and ignorance. In such troubled times, people look to our established institutions to have the courage to stand by long-held values of truth and decency. It is my sincere hope the Royal Society will demonstrate tomorrow that it is just such an institution. Yours faithfully, Stephen"

I am so dismayed a the statement today from the President of the @royalsociety.org that I want to publish here the letter I wrote to him yesterday urging him to address the clear concerns of the UK scientific community.

01.10.2025 17:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 87    ๐Ÿ” 39    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Researchers launch brain imaging platform with $2.9M boost from Brain Canada - Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Western University A new high-resolution imaging platform is revealing the brain in extraordinary detail โ€“ and sharing the data with scientists worldwide.

Follow an exciting new brain imaging platform, @mind-western.bsky.social, partnering group of #TRIDENT. Article about it linked below! ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿ‘€
www.schulich.uwo.ca/about/news-e...

01.10.2025 17:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Painting by Indigenous artist Emily Kewageshig โ€œEvery Child Mattersโ€

Painting by Indigenous artist Emily Kewageshig โ€œEvery Child Mattersโ€

We must honour the memory of children lost and mourn with the families shattered by residential schools today and every day ๐Ÿงก
Truth and Reconciliation is the responsibility of all settlers on this stolen land.

Every Child Matters, art by Emily Kewageshig

30.09.2025 22:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 57    ๐Ÿ” 20    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Today I honour the Survivors of residential schools and remember the children who never came home. Reconciliation means listening, learning, and doing better. To Survivours: your stories matter, your resilience inspires. #Truth #Reconciliation #NDTR

30.09.2025 07:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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13 questions journalists should ask to gauge research quality Asking these 13 questions can help journalists spot red flags in research, including studies that policymakers cite to defend their stances.

Great resource for all!

How to gauge the quality of a research study: 13 questions journalists should ask journalistsresource.org/media/good-r...

Eg:
- peer reviewed?
- top-tier academic journal?
- other scholars trust this work?
- funding?
- credentials?
- COI?
- sample size?
- methods?

29.09.2025 21:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 45    ๐Ÿ” 21    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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All About the Tylenol-Autism Brouhaha At an unhinged press conference last Monday, Donald Trump and his medical acolytes revealed an actionable cause of autism at long last: Tylenol. In what felt like a social media post come to life, Tru...

I read close to 50 papers in order to give an evidence-based, accurate response to Monday's press conference.

There's a lot to unpack here. I hope you find this informative.

Cc: @mcgilloss.bsky.social

www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

26.09.2025 18:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 70    ๐Ÿ” 34    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 5
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As VIDO turns 50, Sask. virus research hub has opportunity to fill global gaps | CBC News One of Canada's premier vaccine centres celebrates its 50th birthday this week, but researchers say it comes amid unease over U.S. policy changes and funding cuts that threaten to upend the global fig...

These are unprecedentedly challenging times for virology & vaccine research. I am so grateful to face them at @vido.org.

It's an amazing place to study & make vaccines to improve human & animal health in Canada & around the world.

#VIDOis50
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

26.09.2025 12:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 185    ๐Ÿ” 44    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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#fluorescencefriday courtesy of Alycia Crooks abeta plaques (magenta) surrounded by microglia labeled with IBA1 (cyan) and CD68 (green)

26.09.2025 10:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Post image 25.09.2025 23:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Careers at LIBD | Medical Research Jobs | Lieber Institute View our career opportunities with Lieber Institute for Brain Development including investigators, medical research jobs, scientists, & lab techs

We have several positions open at various levels (Research Assistant, Research Associate, Postdoctoral Fellow) across our highly interactive teams in the Division of Translational Neuroscience ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿงช @lieberinstitute.bsky.social

www.libd.org/careers/

Links to individual positions in the thread below.

25.09.2025 12:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 29    ๐Ÿ” 27    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Health Canada offers rebuttal to Trump's claims about Tylenol โ€” CityNews Toronto The federal agency says there is nothing to suggest that using acetaminophen as directed during pregnancy causes either autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Health Canada offers rebuttal to Trumpโ€™s claims about Tylenol - CityNews Toronto

apple.news/AdsyD0JKIQum...

24.09.2025 21:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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a man with a mustache wearing a shirt and tie ALT: a man with a mustache wearing a shirt and tie
24.09.2025 21:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
black car with a red x and a bright yellow car with a green check mark.
It's getting dark out earlier, be sure to add a bright coat of paint to your vehicle. Remember road safety is a shared responsibility.

black car with a red x and a bright yellow car with a green check mark. It's getting dark out earlier, be sure to add a bright coat of paint to your vehicle. Remember road safety is a shared responsibility.

Shared Responsibility.

@thebikinglawyer.bsky.social

05.09.2025 14:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 496    ๐Ÿ” 157    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 10
The cast of characters of Big Hero 6, all awkwardly posing. In the centre is Baymax.

The cast of characters of Big Hero 6, all awkwardly posing. In the centre is Baymax.

Iโ€™m joining the war on autism, on the side of autism.

24.09.2025 02:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 68    ๐Ÿ” 20    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

we have to wait for the publication but this looks very promising and the researchers doing it are well known in the field. so good chances this is the real deal.

24.09.2025 11:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Proud to announce the project I've been working on ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ๐Ÿงฌ

Had hoped to have more ready, but the events of the last week stressed the importance of speaking up against fascism NOW

I'd appreciate your support in spreading the word, esp if you work in life sciences research, healthcare, or biotech

23.09.2025 21:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 155    ๐Ÿ” 67    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

i think this was one of the most bonkers thing ever. worse then the covid interviews. He says one stupid thing after another and no one challenges the bs.

23.09.2025 12:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Perhaps donโ€™t take medical advice from the guy that canโ€™t say acetaminophen๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™‚๏ธ

23.09.2025 00:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Got watch till the Disney advertisement but it is worth it.

22.09.2025 23:32 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@maximoprado is following 20 prominent accounts